If this mixture of soil, water and vegetation is on your property, you may be limited to what you can do.  For example, you may not be able to fill the area, at least without a permit. 

Wetlands are an important part of the environment;  they provide a necessary filter for the surface water, and provide valuable flooding areas.

Sometimes during development of a property, land that may have been farmed, wooded or otherwise may exhibit characteristics of a wetland which are soils, water, and vegetation.  The federal government regulates the use of wetlands even on private property.  Some states also have their own regulations and may be the only governing body if their regulations are more stringent that the federal regulations.

At, Villa Environmental Consultants Inc., we approach each project with the end goal in mind.  Sometimes, our customers will want to know if the area meets the definition of a wetland.  Others may want to know the extent of the wetlands and is it possible to mitigate.

Cattails are considered to be a wetland plant.  If your area has cattails in it, chances are it is a wetland.  Many other plants are key indicators such as reed canary grass, sand bar willow and many many others.

Water must be present at the surface during a small portion of the growing season.  So if water is within a few inches of the surface at any time, it may be a wetland 

The third ingredient is soil.  The soil should have organic tendencies.  Peat moss is an example of a soil that might be in a wetland.  However, other less organic soils can be considered in a wetland.